A cyanide compound (specifically mandelonitrile) produced when amygdalin is broken down by enzymes.
From amygdal- (relating to amygdalin) + -nitrile (chemical compound containing a CN group). The nitrile suffix became standard in organic chemistry nomenclature in the 19th century to describe compounds with a carbon-nitrogen triple bond.
When you bite an almond seed, enzymes break amygdalin into amygdonitrile—which is cyanide! This is why bitter almonds are toxic but sweet almonds are safe: sweet almonds lack this enzyme system, so amygdalin stays inert and harmless.
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